A web or sheet of material is often used to protect a surface and/or one or more items that may be disposed on the web or sheet. For example, paper has been used for many years to line shelves, drawers and other surfaces of articles. The paper may be plain (i.e., uncoated), coated and/or adhesive-backed. Paper or other material has also been used as placemats or as a table covering.
Another example of the use of a web or sheet is as a protective covering on other, larger structures, such as a dropcloth on a floor or a liner in a trunk of a car or on a bed of a truck. These products typically must be sufficiently durable to withstand foot traffic and/or other forms of abuse, although less durable materials (e.g., paper) may be used as temporary protective coverings.
Mix U.S. Pat. No. 1,151,895 discloses a sanitary kneading board wherein a quantity of parchment paper is unwound from a roll and placed atop the board to completely cover the surface thereof. Similar arrangements are disclosed in Johnson U.S. Pat. No. 1,952,375 and Hoel U.S. Pat. No. 2,369,898, although the wax paper is used instead of parchment paper in the latter.
Pollock U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,793 discloses a mixing board wherein a plurality of stacked plastic sheets are disposed on a top surface thereof. Each of the plastic sheets has a backing of pressure sensitive adhesive binding the sheets together. A user may mix a compound on a top sheet and may thereafter peel off the top sheet and dispose of same so that a clean surface is provided for subsequent use.
A number of arrangements have been developed wherein an electrostatically charged sheet is used to secure an article to a surface. For example, Henley U.S. Pat. No. 5,970,638 discloses a transparent electrostatic vinyl sheet and a cover film wherein an object, such as a dried and pressed flower, is tightly sealed between the vinyl sheet and the cover film to create a sealed ornament. The sealed ornament may be applied to a non-porous surface and the electrostatic film maintains the ornament in position thereon. Other arrangements utilizing electrostatic sheets to mount objects are disclosed in Arbisi U.S. Pat. No. 5,826,851, Baryla U.S. Pat. No. 4,741,119, Saetre U.S. Pat. No. 5,102,171 and Rubino U.S. Pat. No. 4,992,121.
Peck U.S. Pat. No. 5,899,010 discloses a reusable banner system including a sheet of plastic material and a plurality of flexible static cling vinyl indicia that may be placed on the sheet of plastic material to form a message. The indicia are maintained in position on the sheet of plastic material by the electrostatic charge carried by the indicia. In an alternate embodiment, the sheet of plastic material carries an electrostatic charge and the indicia are made of nonporous plastic.
Stonehouse U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,671 discloses a flip chart comprising at least two sheets disposed in overlying relationship. The sheets are electrically charged and are releasably securable to a surface by static cling. The sheets are adapted for removable marking thereon by a felt pen and are retained on a backing board by staples. Each sheet may be torn from the staples to permit removal of the sheet from the flip chart.
Boyd U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,581 discloses a writing apparatus including flexible electret film that is capable of being erasably written upon by a dry erase marker. The apparatus includes a roll of electret film disposed in a receptacle, brackets for mounting the receptacle to a wall or flip chart stand and a cutter for separating the film into sheets.
Cooledge et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,258,214 discloses a thermoplastic film material having a preprinted image thereon and provided with a static electrical charge for securing the film to a surface. The material may be packaged as sheets or in roll form with perforations to permit separation thereof.